Neer

Neer is a term with multiple meanings across languages and cultures. In Tamil and several other South Indian languages, neer (Tamil நீர்) literally means water. The word also appears in everyday speech and in various regional culinary terms. In non-Indic contexts, the sequence of letters “neer” may occur as a proper noun or part of a transliterated name, but its most common usage remains as a word for water in Dravidian languages.

Cognates of neer are found in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Telugu, where forms such as neer, neeru, or neeru refer to water. These similarities reflect a shared linguistic heritage among the Dravidian language family. The term often features in everyday phrases, as well as in compound words describing liquids, beverages, and dishes prepared with a watery batter or sauce.

One notable culinary use is neer dosa, a South Indian crepe made from a thin, watery batter of rice. The batter is prepared by grinding raw rice with ample water to a very loose consistency, then poured in a circular motion on a hot, lightly oiled skillet. Neer dosa cooks quickly and yields a soft, delicate texture, often served with coconut chutney, sambar, or other accompaniments.